Switching Channels

Switching Channels is a 1988 American comedy about Christy Colleran, a star television reporter who plans to leave her job in Chicago and marry a wealthy businessman in New York. Her boss, John Sullivan, is also her ex-husband, and he is not ready to let her go. He persuades her to take on one more assignment: an interview with a death-row inmate. The story keeps Christy professionally involved while Sullivan works, with mixed motives, to hold up her departure.

The film was directed by Ted Kotcheff, its release coming between Weekend at Bernie's and Winter People in a career that also includes First Blood and Fun with Dick and Jane. Kathleen Turner plays Christy and Burt Reynolds plays Sullivan, with Christopher Reeve as Blaine Bingham, Ned Beatty as Roy Ridnitz, Henry Gibson as Ike Roscoe and George Newbern as Siegenthaler. The screenplay is credited to Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur and Jonathan Reynolds; Martin Ransohoff produced.

It was made for about 18 million dollars and took roughly half that amount at the worldwide box office. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.1 out of 10 from 78 votes, which suggests a modest, limited response from viewers.